Method of forming frames from wire



Dec. 10, 1935, J. F. PLANETA 2,023,743

METHOD OF FORMING FRAMES FROM WIRE Filed Nov. 26, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1E4 /.1 M5 2% M 2% C j [I g;

Dec. 10, 1935 J, F. PLANELI'A 2,023,743

METHOD OF FORMING FRAMES FROM WIRE Filed Nov. 26, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2M as. ,2?- 3%.

32 21 %3L 2%: 1 D JW 3 F 34% I Lil as d3. 7 E 5 E 1 J1 L J so J" 9 6 Iax/0 v 42v 4b 0 6 In ,47 ORA/E) Patented Dec. 10, 1935 UNITED srATssMETHOD OF FQRIVHNG FRAMES FROM WERE John F. Planeta, Higganum, Conn,assignor to Rudolph C. Planeta, Higganum, Conn.

Application November 26, 1934, Serial No. 754,790

7 Claims.

My invention relates to a method for shaping the wires used in theconstruction of articles of various kinds as for lamps of differentsorts, wire novelties and the like, and an object of my invention, amongothers,.is the provision of a process whereby such articles may be madein a rapid and efficient manner and more especially a method wherebythey will have an extreme degree of accuracy in the shapes and formsfinally produced. A process for accomplishing my purpose and in thepractice of which the objects herein set out, as well as others, may beattained, is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1is a view of a piece of wire adapted 15 to be formed to shape toconstitute a portion of a frame for a lamp shade.

Figure 2 is a view illustrating the operation of securing the ends ofthe wire together, this constituting one of the initial steps in theprocess 2-9 of forming a frame.

Figures 3 and 4 illustrate the formation of the wire in a succeedingstep in the process.

Figures 5 and 6 illustrate further succeeding steps in the process, and

25 Figure '7 illustrates the .final step of forming this last mentionedframe.

Figures 8 and 9 illustrate one of the initial and the final steps in theprocess of forming a frame which is generally round in shape.

3Q Figures 10 and 11 illustrate steps in the formation of a wire toconstitute a frame of still adifferent shape.

Figures 12 and 13 illustrate a step to form the frame shown in Fig. 11into still another shape.

Figs. 14 and 15 illustrate steps to form the frame of Fig. 13 into aframe of still another shape.

Figs. 16 and 17 illustrate the manner of forming a frame to a shapedifferent from that illus- 40 trated in the preceding figures, Fig. 18illustrating the finishing step in the operation of slightly changingthe shape of the angular parts of this frame.

Figs. 19 and 20 illustrate the manner or forming the frame shown in Fig.16 into still another shape.

In the manufacture of shades for electric lamps which are supported onstandards for table use or which are placed on the floor, such shades 50commonly consist of wires, one at the top and the other at the bottom,to form stiffening members for the fabric or paper or similar materialconstituting the body of the shade, these twomembers of the frame beingcommonly of the {P3 same shape but of different sizes; or they may befor both of the same size. In the construction of these frames it hasbeen common practice to shape a length of wire into the form requiredand then to join the ends by welding or otherwise. In this manner offorming the wires it has been diffi- 5 cult to obtain a. frame with thedifferent portions or' sides thereof of exactly the same shapethroughout with a result that such frames are more or lessunsymmetrical, and this difficulty is emphasized when an attempt is madeto shape 10 a piece of fabric or paper comprising the body of the shadeto fit the frame. As the difference in shape of each of the two frameson different sides and the difference in shape of the two frames whichdo not exactly match causes the 15 sides of the body of the shade to beunsymmetrical.

By the practice of my improved method I am enabled to obtain frameswhich are substantially of the same shape on all sides and also toobtain 20 the top and bottom frame members to very closely match oneanother and therefore the sides of the body of the shade are quitesymmetrical, thereby producing a shade of very symmetrical and pleasingappearance.

In the formation of wire frames it is a comparatively simple matter toproduce the round or simpler geometrical forms, as square, hexagonal,octagonal, and the like, but a difliculty arises when attempts are madeto impart more complicated shapes to such forms, and it is in theproduction of these more complicated forms that my improved processfinds its adaptability, such invention residing in the joining togetherof the ends of a wire after the simple forms above referred to have beenobtained, and then imparting more complicated shapes to such forms.

In the accompanying drawings the numeral 20 (Fig. 1) denotes a piece ofwire cut to the desired length and having its ends 2i adapted to bejoined for the purpose of welding or otherwise securing such ends. Thiswire is then formed into a simple geometrical shape or round form andthe ends are then secured together as by means 4 of welding devices 22,as shown in Fig. 2. As 5 shown in Figs. 3 to 7 this simple square formhas a bend 23 formed in each of its four sides as by means of dies 24and 25, the frame, in the formation of the bends in different sides,being placed between holders 26 that properly position the frame so thatthe bend 23 will be located in the center of the side in which it isformed. The bends are successively formed, preferably in numericalprogression, around the four sides of the frame with a result that theframe is symmetrical as to its four sides and the bends formed therein.

The matching frame is formed in the same manner, and if of a differentsize, the holders 26 are placed a distance apart equal to the length ofeach of the four sides of the frame, and the two frames will so closelymatch each other that any difference in shape cannot be detected by thenaked eye, and when the body of the shade is folded to the shape of theframe such folds will be very symmetrical.

In the frame shown in Figs. 8 and 9 a round form 2'! is first made withits ends joined, and

bends 28 are formed on diametrically opposite sides as by means of dies29 and 3G, a guide 3! being employed as a means for properly positioningthe wires relatively to the forming dies, the resulting shape of theframe being shown in Fig. 9.

The frame illustrated in FigsglO and 11 is square as in the frame firstherein described, and dies 32 and 33 are employed to create offset bends34 on each of the four sides in the centers thereof, the holder 26 beingemployed to properly posltion the frame in the bending operation.

This same frame may be further shaped, if desired, by creating a secondoffset bend 35, as by means of dies 36 and 31, extending across thatfirst made, the holders 25 being used'to properly position the frame foroperation of the guide. The resulting shape of the frame is shown inFig. 13.

The frame shown in Fig. 11, or that shown in Fig. 13, may be shaped intostill another form by tion the frame on the dies.

rounding the corners of the original square figure, as by means of dies38 and 39, the resulting shape of the frame, as to the form of Fig. 13,being shown in Fig. 15.

The original simple form of the frame shown in Figs. 16 and 1'7 ishexagonal, the ends being joined, and by means of dies 48 and 4| thewire is formed to the preliminary shape shown in Fig. 17, holders 42being employed to properly posi- To slightly change this shape theangular indentation 46 maybe made more acute by the dies 41 and 48, asshown in Fig. 18.

In Figures 19 and 20 the frame is shown produced from an originaloctagonal form 49 as by means of dies 43 and 44, the resulting shape ofthe frame being shown in Figure 20. In the formation of this frameguides 45 are employed as in the operation of making other formshereinbefore described.

While the invention is illustrated and described herein in connectionwith certain round and geometrical forms it will be understood that theinvention may be equally applied to geometrical forms of various shapesother than those described herein, and the invention may therefore beconsidered as equally applying to such other forms within the scope ofthe appended claims.

I claim:

1. The method of forming a wire frame that consists in joining theendsof the wire to comprise a frame of preliminary shape and then bendingthe wire in several different places at different times to impart finalshape to said frame,

2. The method of forming a wire frame that consists in joining the endsof the wires to comprise the frame, and then successively impartingshape to the different sides of the frame.

3. The method of forming a wire frame that consists in producing aninitial form with the ends joined together, and then imparting furthershape successively to the different sides of the frame.

4. The method of forming a wire frame that consists in producing aninitial form with the different sides of suitable shapes, then joiningthe ends of the Wire comprising such frame, and then impartingadditional shape successively to each of the several sides of saidframe.

5. The method of forming a frame for a lamp shade that consists inproducing an initial form with all of the sides of the same shapes, thenjoining the ends of the wire together, and then in numerical progressionimparting different forms successively to the several sides of saidframe.

6. The method of making a wire frame that consists in forming a lengthof wire into geometrical shape and permanently joining the ends thereofand then changing the shape to another geometrical form by bending thewire at different points at different times to complete the shape.

7. The method of making a wire frame that consists in producing aninitial geometrical form with the ends of the wire permanently joinedtogether and then changing the shape into another geometrical form byimparting furo ther shape successively to different sides of the frame.

JOHN F. PLANETA.

